The present invention relates to an improvement in the devices employed to store or tie off ropes in work shops, boats, and other similar applications. More specifically, to a cleat or rope storage device which has the capability of being collapsed when not in use or expanded when needed thereby providing a secure point at which to store or tie off rope that does not suffer from the limitations common in the cleats or other similar apparatuses in use today.
The use of cleats for gathering, storing, or tying off ropes is common in many applications. Cleats offer a way to secure a rope in a designated location and manner that allows for their storage and quick and easy removal. It is these characteristics that makes the use of cleats so prevalent in many applications including the boating industry for such purposes as the storing of unused rope, securing ropes, or other similar purposes. However, this discussion should not be interpreted as limiting its scope to the specific content as the characteristics described herein apply equally as well in all possible applications that employ the use of rope storage or tie off cleats.
While storage or tie off cleats work well in their intended purpose, they do suffer from short comings. The most obvious of these stems from the fact that, due to their intended purpose, they are necessarily objects that extend into an area where they may come into contact with unintended objects. Additionally, the nature of their intended use also requires that they be constructed of a strong and durable material such as a metal and are thus capable of causing damage to property and even injury. This circumstance is also exacerbated due to the fact that cleats are also often constructed with relatively sharp edges or protruding elements. Finally, the devices in common use today do not provide an adequate amount of space to allow for the storage of long length of rope.
As a result of these circumstances, there have been many efforts to provide a storage or tie off cleat apparatus that overcomes these problems. The most common of these consist of cleat apparatuses which are designed in a manner that allows them to be retracted below the surface on which they are being employed. These cleat apparatuses generally consist of a base which is fixedly attached to the desired surface, a well which extends below the surface, and a cleat member that is capable of being extended above the surface for use or retracted into the well when not in use. The cleat member is generally spring loaded in such a manner so that pressure placed on its upper surface will either force it into and lock it within the well or release it and allow the spring tension to force it up above the employed surface. These systems offer a means of providing a mechanism for storing or tying off a rope while avoiding the problems that unused cleats pose.
While the retractable cleats described provide a solution for the problems described above, they also suffer deficiencies that affect their overall performance. The first of these is that their manner of construction is relatively complex and therefore subject to failure. Not only does this complexity create the potential for problems in and of itself, but it also creates opportunities for apparatus failure due to debris interfering with the function of their more sensitive components. Additionally, the complex nature of their construction also drives the cost of these tie off cleats to a level that makes the implementation difficult for some of the public. This is an especially significant problem in boating applications requiring the use of a large number of cleats. Finally, these devices also are typically of such a small storage capacity that they do not provide a means of storing longer than average lengths of rope.
Therefore, from the foregoing discussion it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide a tie off cleat apparatus which is capable of being collapsed when not in use and expanded when needed. Additionally, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide such a storage or tie off cleat apparatus that does not suffer from the complexity and cost problems which are common to those offered by the prior art.